I just spent the morning in Paradise. With less than a month to go till curtain up on Cinderella it was time to get our Lord Chamberlain kitted out in something suitably grandiose so off we trolled to a local costumier who has very generously helped us with previous productions. Atelier Pietro Longhi, http://www.pietrolonghi.com is my idea of heaven. There’s a workshop with sewing machines and a hat-making section and a reference library, but best of all there is room after room, rail after rail, shelf after shelf of what I can only describe as Fabulous Costuming Stuff. Quite aside from all the gowns and suits they have boxes full of collars, buttons, gloves, spats, and undergarments. The kind of place where you could easily spend a whole morning making sure you had the right kind of epaulettes. If my career as a writer doesn’t work out, that’s where I want to work. I’ll be the person who sweeps the floor, picks up the pins, puts the collar studs back in the right box.

Anyway, mission accomplished. And my Lord Chamberlain is happy. We got him a black and silver tailcoat with a matching bicorn hat. It’s a bit Napoleonic looking  –  our pantomimes are nothing if not stylistically promiscuous  – but perfect for a small man playing the role of a self-important little popinjay. I came out of the atelier feeling so under-dressed. Fortunately Mr F and I are going to the opera this evening so I have the perfect excuse for ratcheting up my sparkle coefficient without delay. Tonight diamonds will be worn. But I’m also thinking I should start wearing more brocade and velvet to the supermarket. Watch this space.